Attachment for electric irons



A ril I927. 6

p I E. s. KARLSEN ATTACHMENT FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Filed Dec. 31, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 12,1927; 1,624,666

E. S. KARLSEN ATTACHMENT 'FOR ELECTRIC IRONS Filed Dec. 51, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet z W Fage/zv O. vii arm:

Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE S. KARLSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS;

ATTACHMENT FOB ELECTRIC IRONS This invention relates generally, to electric irons,'such as are used for ironing arments of various kinds, as well as, clothes, or textiles, and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement and combination of the various parts thereof as will be hereinafter'more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The principal object of the invention is, to provide an attachment for electric irons,

by means of which the electric conductor of flexible cable, which, unites the iron and a supply of electric current, will be unwound, or paid out, when the iron is moved in one direction, and wound or taken up, when the iron is moved in the opposite direction.

Another, and very important object is,

to provide means associated'with my attachment, whereby the temperature to which the iron may be heated will be automatically controlled or regulated, thereby preventing it reaching such a degree as to cause it to scorchpr burn the garments or cloth.

A further object of the invention is, to so construct and mount thev attachm'enton and with respect to the iron, as to afford a convenient rest or holder therefore, when it is desired to suspend work and to hold the base of the iron from the board or table.

Still another object is, to providemeans for manually re-winding the conductor. or cord, if desired or required. Other objects and advantages of theinvention will be disclosed in the following description and explanation.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1, is a view in side elevation of an electric iron with an attachment mounted thereon embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2, is across-sectional view partly in elevation taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, lookin in the direction indicated by the arrows.

ig. 3, is a transverse sectional view. of a portion of the electric conductor or cable which unites the iron to a supply of electricity, its housing and the means for winding and permitting said conductor to be un-- wound.

Fi 4, is a side view in elevation showing a modification in construction of the attachment. Fig. 5, is a plan view thereof, 'and Fi 6,'is a transverse sectional view partly in efiavation taken on line 66 of ig. 4

looking in the direction indicated by the.

eferring' now, more particularly, to Figs.

1 to 3 inclusive of the drawings, the reference numeral 7, designates the body of the electric iron, 8, its base, 9, the handle, mounted on the upper surface of said body, for manipulating the iron. The body 7 is by preference, hollow and has therein an electrically operated heating element 10, of the usualor well known construction, and is secured to the upper surface of the base 8, in any suitable way.

The rear end of the iron has secured to its upper and lower portions a clip-like support 11, which as shown in Fig. 1, has its lower extremity at a greater distance from the iron body than its upper forwardly extending portion 12. From this portion'12,' the clip is provided with a pair of upwardly extending cars 13, between which is located and secured thereto a cylindrical housing 15, which has in its upper portion an opening 16, through which the conductor 17, passes and may be wound and unwound on a shaft 18, centrally journaled in the sides of the housing as is clearly shown in Fig. 3, of the drawing. a

- 19, on which is mounted a similarly shaped I iece or plate 20, of insulating material.

11 the central portion of this plate 20, is mounted a contact plate 21. On the peripheral face of the insulation 20, is mounted another contact member 22, which is ringlike in construction.

I Fixed at one of its ends to the enlarged part of the shaft 18, within the housing 15, is a spring 23, which is wound aroun the reduced portion 18 of said shaft and has its other'end fixed to the housing 15, as shown in- Fig. 3, of the drawing. Wound on this shaft 18, and reduced portion 18, thereof is the electric conductor or cable 17, which carries two electric wires. one of which extends through the plate 19, insulation 20, and is secured to the contact plate 21. The other of said wires extends through said plate 19, the insulation 20, and is connected housing 15, may be provided with means (not shown) for connecting it to an electric supply such as an electric socket.

suitable point,

near the lower portion of the contact mem- Secured to the upper rear portion of the body 7, of the iron, and insulated therefrom is one end of a brush 26, the other end of which contacts with the plate 21. That end of the brush 26, which is supported on the iron has electrically connected thereto within the body 7 an electric conductor 27, which leads to. one end of the heating element 10, of the iron. Mounted on an insulated member on the rear end of the body 7, is an upright bar 28, which has its lower end electrically connected to the other end of the heating element from that to which the conductor 27, is united. This bar 28, may extend upwardly to any ut preferably terminates ber 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing. Pivotally secured at one of its ends to the front face of the housin 15, at one side of said plate and slightly a ove the upper end of the bar 28, is a forwardly extending member or bar 29, which has its lower front portion insulated as shown in F igs." 1 and 2 of the drawing. Directly below the free end of the member 29, is vertically mounted in the iron a post or stem 30, which has its upper portion screw threaded and is provided on said screw threaded portion with an adjustable sleeve 31, which may be held in its adjusted position by means of a lock-nut 32. On the upper portionof the member 29, is mounted an upwardly extending brush 33, the upper end of which contacts with the outer contact plate 22, on the housing.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 of the drawing, that the housing 15, is supported on the ears 13, of the bracket or member 11, in such a way that said housing inclines upwardly and'outwardly from the body of the iron, thus enabling the upper portion of said housing and the lower portion of the support '11, to be placed oni a horizontal surface so as to hold the base lot the iron upright with respect to said surface.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive, of the drawings, a

clip-like support 11, somewhat similar in sha to the support 11, shown and described in t e first named construction, may be employed, but it will be noticed that in this modified construction of the clip or support position.

upper end-to contact with the insulated part m 11", the ears 13, are omitted from its upper rearwardly inclined portion, and that an elongated socket 34, is mounted on said portion in a rearwardly and upwardly inclined Mounted on and insulated from the lower portion of this socket is an upright arm 35. of metal, which has its lower portion connected to the heating element 10, by means of a conductor 36, extending through the support 11, and through the body of the iron. Pivotally secured at one of its ends to the front surface of the socket 34, is a metal bar 39, the front or free end portion of which is insulated on its lower part and said bar may be downwardly actuated by means of a spring 38, engaging therewith and also with said socket. Extending vertically through the body 7 and into the base 8, of the iron, is a post 30, which has its upper portion screw threaded and adjustably mounted 85 thereon a sleeve 31, which lies directly under the insulated part of the bar 39, as is clearly shown inFig. 4, of the drawing. To hold the adjustable sleeve 31", in its adjusted position on the screw threaded part of the postBO, a lock nut 32, is employed as in the other construction.

By referring to Fig. 4, it will be understood that the socket 34, is provided on its inner surface with a conductor 40, which is connected to the bar 39, and said socket is also provided with a conductor 41, which leads to the opposite end of the heating element from that to which the conductor 36, .is secured. Removably fitted in the socket 34, is a plug 42 which has a pair of contact points 43, and 44, to connect with the conductors 40, and 41, respectively. This plug 42, carries the lower end of the conductor 17, the two wires of which are respectively connected to the contacts 48, and 44, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4, of the drawing.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings, it will be clearly understood and 0 readily seen that, assuming the conductor 17, is connected at one of its ends to a supply of electricity and that it is desired to use the iron equipped with the form of my attachment shown in Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, it will be obvious that as the wires of the cable 17 are connected to the contact plates or members 21, and 22, tespectivel the heating element 10, and the iron will heated by. the electric current flowin through the member 17, thesaid plates, and the brushes 26, and 33, it being understood that-the brush 33, being of a spring-like na+ ture will press the member 29, against the bar 28, thus causing a complete circuit.

After the iron has beenheated to a sufiicient degree, it .will be understood that the thermostatic member, will expand on account of any excessive heat and cause i s of the bar 29, thus raising the same from contact with the member 28, and thereby breaking the circuit. It is further obvious,

that in the operation of the iron with the form of attachment now under consideration the cable 17, will be automatically wound on the shaft 18, by reason of the tension of the spring 23, when the iron is retracted, and automatically unwound when the iron is advanced.v By equipping the reduced end of the shaft 18; with the milled nut 2i, andsometimes with the crank handle 25, it is apparent that the cord 17, can

be manually wound on the shaft '18, if desired or necessary.

In the modified construction illustrated .in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive and above described,

it will be understood that no means therein is provided for taking up the slack of the cable 17, but that the lower end thereof is firmly attached to the plug 42, which plug when inserted in the socket 34, will, througeh its contact points 43, ,;and 44, complete t circuit through the conductors 40, ,36, and 41, thereby heating the iron. In this modification the bar 39, is normally held in position on the member 35, by means of a spring 38, but when the thermostatic element or post 30, is expanded by the heat of the iron above a predetermined degree, said post will be extended a ainst the insulated part of the bar 39, and t e same raised out of contact with the member 35, thus automatically breaking the circuit and preventing the iron becoming overheated. 7

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as'new. and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with an electric iron having therein a heatin element provided with conductors extended through its rear portion, of another pair of conductors having electric connection with a supply of"-elec-- tricity, said last named conductorsprovided with contact members, a thermostat carried by the iron, a bar adapted for actuation in bnedirection there member adj ustabl having its upper portion screw threaded, a

mounted in screw ongagement therewit means for locking said member in. its adjusted position, a bar adapted for actuation in one direction by said thermostatic post, said bar pivotally mounted at one of its ends, a contact bar adjacentthe pivoted bar in connection with .one of said-conductors, a brush carried by said bar to rest a ainst'oneof said contact members and anot er brush electrically connected to said heating element and resting against the other of said contact members.

3. In a device of the class described, the

conductors, athermostatic post carried by the Iron and combination with an electric iron having therein a heating element provided with conductors extended through said iron, of another pair of conductors having electric connection with a supply of electricity, said last named conductors provided with contact members, a thermostat carried by the iron, a spring actuated bar'adapted; for actuation in one direction by said thermostat pivotally supported at one of its ends, a contact bar a jacent the pivoted bar in connection with one of the first named conductors', a brush carried by said bar. to rest against one of said contact members and another brush electrically connected to said heating element and resting against the other of said contact members.

EUGENE S. KARLSEN. 

